The Orlando Magic continued their surge Wednesday night, holding off the Cleveland Cavaliers 128–122 behind a clutch performance from Desmond Bane, who delivered in the closing seconds to secure Orlando’s fifth consecutive victory.
Bane finished with a game-high 35 points and sealed the win with a dramatic sequence in the final moments. After Cleveland trimmed a double-digit deficit to just two points late in the fourth quarter, Bane buried a contested 3-pointer while falling out of bounds with 17.4 seconds remaining. He then calmly sank two free throws with eight seconds left to put the game out of reach.
Orlando’s balanced attack was led by Paolo Banchero, who recorded 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in another strong all-around performance. Rookie forward Tristan da Silva also delivered in the clutch, scoring nine of his 23 points in the fourth quarter as the Magic fought off Cleveland’s late rally.
Cleveland received big nights from its star backcourt. James Harden scored 30 points and added eight assists, while Donovan Mitchell finished with 25 points. Mitchell’s late 3-pointer cut Orlando’s lead to two after the Magic had built a 13-point advantage midway through the final period, briefly shifting momentum in Cleveland’s favor.
The Cavaliers kept pushing behind strong perimeter shooting late in the game. Keon Ellis sparked the comeback effort with three fourth-quarter 3-pointers and finished with 20 points. Meanwhile, Evan Mobley contributed 18 points and 13 rebounds but was limited after picking up his fourth foul just 35 seconds into the third quarter.
The first half featured an offensive duel between Cleveland’s stars. Harden and Mitchell each scored 16 points before halftime, but the Cavaliers struggled from long range in the second quarter, missing 11 of their 12 attempts from beyond the arc. Despite the shooting woes, the teams went into the locker room tied at 62.
Harden opened the second half with a 3-pointer, but Orlando’s offense remained steady behind Banchero and Bane, setting the stage for the late-game drama.
With the victory, the Magic secured their longest winning streak of the season at five games, continuing to build momentum as they push up the Eastern Conference standings.
The Cavaliers head to Texas to face the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night, while the Magic return home to host the Washington Wizards on Thursday.
